Rehabilitating Alamieyeseigha

March 26, 2013 by Lekan Sote(lekansote@yahoo.com)

Lekan Sote

President Goodluck Jonathan is very likely to be familiar with the Bible passage that says when fathers eat sour grapes, their children’s teeth are set on edge. Now that he has exercised his prerogative of mercy, and pardoned former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, he has, in effect, declared his former boss a squeaky-clean non-criminal. But pray, what should the already cynical children of today’s Nigeria take away from the President’s insensitive mix of gratitude to a mentor and benefactor who, admittedly, set him on the course of greatness, vis a vis a brazen use of government fiat to defeat the cause of good moral values and the pristine spirit of the rule of law? With this gesture, the President just gave an indulgent wink to future politicians, the leaders of tomorrow, who may feel inclined to pilfer public funds or engage in money laundering. Clearly, the President is unperturbed that Nigeria ranks as one of the most corrupt nations in the world, nor is he worried by the claim of the Human Rights Watch that N450bn is lost, and another N5tn is untraceable, under his watch. Nuhu Ribadu, pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, feels that the President has just used a stroke of indiscretion to dismiss one of the earliest convictions of the anti-graft agency that he once led. He adds that this unfortunate reversal of just convictions was capable of negatively affecting the zeal of the courts and law officers.

To borrow a Yoruba phrase, the President, in trying to rehabilitate his benefactor, has placed naughty cockerels in the same coop as docile pigeons. He granted state pardon to Alamieyeseigha and Shettima Bulama, Managing Director of defunct Bank of the North, who both did time for criminal offences, alongside ex-military officers, late Maj.-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya; the late Major-Gen. Abdulkarim Adisa; Maj.-Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju; Major Bello Magaji; and Alhaji Mohammed Lima Biu, who served jail terms for planning phantom coups under the late Gen. Sani Abacha. And the President’s spinmeisters, Drs. Doyin Okupe and Reuben Abati, are now frantically pouring perfume on the smelly skunk by also comparing the Alamieyeseigha pardon with that of the former Federal Leader of Opposition, Obafemi Awolowo, and former Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who were incarcerated for purely political offences.

Okupe had argued that Alamiyeseigha had shown remorse, and “has been working strenuously to assist the President (to) stabilise amnesty in (the) Niger Delta.” His argument would have been better served had he argued that Dr. Abyssinia Nwafor Orizu got a state pardon for a conviction on financial fraud, and went on to become Nigeria’s Senate President, and as Acting President, had the rare privilege of handing over the reins of state to Maj.-Gen. J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, who became military Head of State after the nearly abortive coup d’etat of January 1966. He would have added also that Orizu later founded a school that helped to mould the character of Nigeria’s children. With this argument, Okupe could then suggest to the President that notorious armed robber ‘Dr.’ Ishola Oyenusi deserved a posthumous state pardon. After all, he stole a mere N10,000, and had openly expressed regret for his nefarious activities in a newspaper interview, shortly before he was executed. Yes, no? If Alamieyeseigha thought that his conviction was political, he should present fresh evidence, and ask the courts for a retrial. Persons who are wrongfully convicted, have duly fulfilled their debt to society, or otherwise considered to be deserving, are sometimes pardoned.

Many are mad at the President for “annulling” (that word again) the conviction of Alamieyeseigha without advancing any cogent explanation, beyond unsubstantiated claims of political persecution. The National Congress of Nigerian Students wants the President to rescind his decision within one month, or face a one million man march, as well as risk being dragged before a court. An unrelenting Sunday Frank-Oputu, former Chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, has put a lie to Okupe’s claims about Alamieyeseigha’s secret remorse. He denies that Alamieyeseigha ever contributed to the peace negotiations in the Niger Delta. He swears he knew the six persons who went to meet with Henry Okah (in South Africa) and the other (militants in creeks) to negotiate the amnesty. He declares that, contrary to Okupe’s insinuations that Alamieyeseigha was a victim of some purported political witch-hunting, Alamieyeseigha went to jail for looting public treasury. After he staged his daring escape caper, there can be no doubt that the security forces of the United Kingdom are patiently waiting for the day Alamieyeseigha will touch their soil. That would be the day.

Reports also indicate that some properties purportedly traceable to Alamieyeseigha are still being held by the US Government, that is still miffed by the pardon saga. The US has duly expressed disappointment with the Jonathan administration, and may also reportedly consider cutting some aid to Nigeria on account of this brazen slap on the face. The impact could be quite substantial and devastating as Nigeria, one of the biggest recipients of the US aid in Africa, got as much as $226m in development aid last year. It may qualify for $600m this year. Newspaper reports also indicated that billionaire and philanthropic Bill Gates may have cancelled his scheduled visit of March 27 to meet the President, all Governors and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, concerning the polio eradication campaign sponsored by his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This may truncate Nigeria’s access to the $1bn plan, which started in 2008, to eradicate polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. See how the President is willing to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerian children, and expose them to heavy losses and privations, on the altar of a fraternity of mutual admiration. Abati’s claim that the meeting was merely rescheduled because some parties were not ready to make the trip merits one word, bunkum.

Yes, even felons can, and do, get a second chance. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former Governor of Lagos State, probably still chairs what looks like an NGO set up for the welfare and rehabilitation of ex-convicts. In 1951, about 100 cadets of America’s West Point Military Academy were expelled for exam malpractices. An American benefactor offered to pay their full board, accommodation and tuition fees at Notre Dame University so that “a man who made a mistake should have a chance to rehabilitate himself.” Donald Senich, one of the 30 who took up the offer, went on to pick up a high profile job with America’s National Science Foundation. He acknowledged that this gesture changed his life. Also, the late Teddy Kennedy, was reportedly expelled from Harvard University for exam malpractices. He reapplied after a year or two, successfully completed his degree programme, and went on to rack up a distinguished career as one of the longest serving senators in the history of America. But with the current posture of public opinion against the swirling odium of corruption, and in the face of a comatose economy and poverty-stricken people, should the President have granted state pardon to men proven to have pillaged the commonwealth? The Yoruba think that if you do not want to see the remnants of a meal, you must not allow the crumbs to fall back on the plate.

I was one of the people he called
out and he prophesied to me that “by this time next month, I’ll be calling
him from outside the country” and I will start flying abroad at least
twice each month.

After the service, my friend that
went with me to the prophetic visitation service asked me how possible can the
prophecy be because I was just a tomatoes and fresh pepper seller in the market
and a widow.

if you put all my tomatoes and
pepper together, it cant be more than
N15,000 and the Bishop is talking about flying abroad. Even my neighbors both
at home and the ones that sells close to me at the market laughed at the
prophecy when I told them about it.

But it happened! 3 weeks after the
prophecy, I went to the market as usual to sell my tomatoes when a woman who
came with one of her domestic staffs to buy food stuffs suddenly called my name
after staring at me for some minutes as I was packaging the tomatoes she came
to buy from me.

At first I didn’t recognize her but
latter did when when she told me she was my best friend in secondary school
back at Ilaje in Ondo state and we haven’t seen for close to 20 years. we lost
contact when she traveled abroad after our secondary education. To make my testimony short, that was how I followed her
to her house and I saw that she was very wealthy, she has shops both in Dubai
and here in Nigeria.

I told her all my problems and she
asked me to move in with my two kids my husband died and left for me into her
mansion and within one week, she processed my traveling documents and I went
with her to Dubai in her next trip.

Today, she no longer travels much, I
do the traveling to China, Dubai, Paris and Italy to import goods for her shops
and also do supply of my own.

Join me to thank the God of Bishop
Koleayo

-Mrs.Omolara
‘Layo

The Bishop is a prophet of one of a kind and I respect him a
lot.

He was my neighbour in Lagos far back in 2003 before he relocated abroad. It
was two flats in our compound. I and my family occupied one and the bishop and
his staffs where in the other. So you can see that I knew him very well.

I didn’t hear of him for a long time after he traveled until I came to Abuja
last month to pursue some contract as usual when I saw his billboards every
where and I coped out the church address which I visited and he was glad to see
me. he prayed for me and said in 14 days, I would be a millionaire. It was not
funny because there was nothing I hadn’t done to turn my situation around. i
sad to him, Daddy prophet, as I am talking to you, I even borrowed money to
come to Abuja to pursue one building contract, I have done a lot but it seems
the more I work hard, the harder things become for me. I have been to seasoned
prophets but no turn around. my wife feeds I and my 3 kids from her meager
salary she earns as a teacher.

When the prophet prophesied, I believed the prophet because I have known him
for years and all the great things God has been doing through him when we were
in Lagos together.

After I attended Bishop’s prophetic service, My phone that nobody calls
because every body seem to have forgotten if someone like me exists all of a
sudden started ringing with people calling to ask me to do business with them
and making enquiries.

Two weeks later as the Bishop prophesied, I was in the sitting room eating
eba with my two daughters one Wednesday night when I heard my phone rang to
notify me of a text message. I opened it and wow, it was an alert of
30,000,000. I mean 30 million credited into my account. It was like a dream
because that account balance was 0.00 Naira balance and hadn’t visited
the bank for a long time. I thought it must have been a mistake but when I
checked the name of the company that made the transfer into my account, I saw
that it was a company I once introduced to another company abroad to do some
business and I went there for almost two years for my payment but I was been
told one story or the other, I got frustrated and forgot about them thinking
they’ll never pay me again. I didn’t even know my own company’s percentage
would be that much but today you can tell the rest of the story.

Cars and houses of my own appeared over night that my former neighbours that
knew me and thought nothing good will ever come out of my life are saying now
that i went to do money rituals. hahahahahahaha

Thank you my most lordship Bishop Solomon Koleayo.

-Samuel Kenechukwu, Lagos Nigeria

_________________________________________

When i heard about what God does with Bishop Koleayo in Abuja, I had to visit
him because i needed serious prayers for protection because many attempts had
been made on my life both spiritually and physically.

Some of my political opponents wanted me

dead.

Few weeks after i visited Bishop Koleayo, i drove into my compound after the
days work. As soon as i entered my bed room, i heard gun shot sounds inside my
compound & before i could think of what was going on, i heard some men
shouting in my sitting room, where is chief? where is chief? It then dawn on me
that as i drove in, the men whom i latter discovered where assassins drove
behind me, entered my compound after me & shot my security man at the gate
six times and my driver who was also outside four times before entering my
sitting room where they met my wife, kids & others living with me. They
just asked everyone they met at the sitting room to lie down & was asking
for me in particular. I had just stepped into the house & went to my bed
room to freshen up when i heard the gun shot sounds outside.

I first thought they where armed robbers as it’s was becoming a usual thing
around our area at that time but i was confused on what to do as i was hearing
them shouting & asking after me.

I quickly opened my ward robe where i kept the anointed water & as i was
anointing my forehead with it, two of the men kicked my bed room door open with
riffles in their

hands, i was so afraid & confused that i fell on my bed thinking i had
died but i was surprised & i am still surprise because i was on top of the
bed

looking at the two hefty men carrying sophisticated weapons scattering my
bed room in search for me. they opened my wardrobe & checked under my bed
but didn’t see me that was on the bed looking at them. I was invisible to them.
I could see them clearly but they didn’t see me.

That was how they left.

I have heard of miracles but i never knew it works this way.

Thank you so much Bishop.

Chief Efosa, Benin City.

_________________________________

I represents the Bishop’s constituency in the

federal house of representatives.

When i first met him, i was a special adviser to the

then state governor. Bishop prayed for me & gave me some revelations that i

was going federal, he said he saw 7 people who are interested in the place God

is taking me to & i was at the front with the other six behind me but

somehow, someone came & dragged me to the back. He said i should pray

seriously so that, i that is the head should not be made the tail. honestly, i

didn’t understand all he meant until it was time to vie for the office of the

house of representatives.

As Bishop earlier prophesied, it was exactly 7 of us

that bought the ticket to contest for the party primaries to become our party’s

flag bearer which we slogged out and i won but as we where celebrating &

campaigning, we didn’t know what happened & how it happened, my name was

substituted with another person’s name at the party head quarters to be the

party’s flag bearer for the general elections.

I was confused & unhappy. I then remembered that

Bishop had once prophesied it four years before now.

I called him, he kept praying for me & assured

me that i would be given back my ticket which seemed impossible for many people

as it doesn’t happen easily in the places like where i come from but it

happened as Bishop said it. The ticket was returned to me few nights before the

elections, i ran for the general election & i won.

It also happened few years ago when my Lexus SUV was

snatched from me by some gun men, i called the Bishop, out of all the prophets

i contacted, He was the only prophet who told me i was going to get my car

back. It took many months that i even forgot the car but anytime i get to meet

or speak with Bishop, with so much confidence, he would assure me my car would

be found & it was found miraculously at Ibadan.

Bishop, i & my family holds you in high regards

for all the numerous things God has used you to do for us and this generation.